IRISH hockey coach Terry Gregg has rewarded Connacht's Deirdre McDermott and Clodagh Grealey and Zanya Dahl of Leinster for their fine club form this season by adding them to the national training squad, eight months ahead of the World Cup qualifying tournament in Zimbabwe.

McDermott, a former under 21 international, joins her Hermes team mates Daphne Sixsmith, Tara Browne and Jenny Burke in thee squad while Grealey's inclusion means that Mary Logue is not the lone Muckross representative. Dahl, the Trinity captain, was in outstanding form in the recent Chilean Cup and is a current under 21 international.

Thirteen of the 27 player panel (which will finally be reduced to 16) are from Ulster while sea from Interprovincial champions: Leinster. Munster and Connacht may have competed for the wooden spoons at Grange Road but Gregg, who has selected a total of seven players from the two provinces, said: "I tend not to rely too much on the interpros because it's difficult for a player from Connacht or Munster, especially if they're a forward, to make an impression.

"How does a player like Karen O'Brien (Munster) show her capabilities in a team that's under pressure all the time. I have always based my selections and my thinking on all of this on performances in the training weekends.